The land acquisition process for the 6-km port connectivity NH corridor (NH 966-B) that would take off from Netoor on the NH bypass has hit a hurdle, reportedly since the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Cochin Port Authority (CPA) are on different pages regarding its alignment.
The four-lane corridor linking the Aroor-Edappally bypass with Willingdon Island was to take off from Nettoor, where the NHAI has mulled a trumpet flyover, and end at Willingdon Island, bypassing the congested Kundannur Junction and the problematic 2-km-long Kundannur bridge. The bridge (maintained by the PWD-NH wing) that has only two-lane width and caters for container lorries, other goods carriers, and passenger vehicles is almost always ridden with gaping potholes and undulations.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had in November 2023 approved the alignment for the port connectivity NH corridor, while issuing of the 3(A) notification for land acquisition was slated to be issued by December-end. “This was not to be since the CPA was unwilling to accept its alignment, saying that it passed through land bordering the backwaters where it mulled a hospitality project,” official sources said.
